An angry Tiago Splitter dominates late in Game 5

Oh to be an NBA player, a job field where role players can pull down an average of $9 million a year.

Such is the lot of Tiago Splitter, the hard-working, defensive-oriented Spurs forward/center whose recent extension has drawn a fair amount of ridicule around NBA circles. ESPN’s Bill Simmons — never prone to hyperbole, that one — even went so far as to declare it one of the NBA’s 30 worst contracts.

That’s a topic for another day. Suffice to say, Splitter might be overpaid — and really, outside the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, how many NBA players aren’t? — but his value, given the right matchup, tends to be underrated, an argument we’ve made multiple times here at Spurs Nation since he was finally promoted to the starting lineup near the start of last season.

Splitter was impossible to overlook on Wednesday, however, going full Hulk down the stretch en route to the best all-around playoff game of his career: 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Spurs beat Dallas 109-103 to take a 3-2 series lead.

He had nine points, six rebounds and four assists in the fourth alone, displaying the type of raw aggression rarely seen during his four seasons with the Spurs.

Indeed, beyond his excellent rim protection and functionality in the pick-and-roll, Splitter’s most recognizable NBA skill might be his remarkably consistent ability to get stuffed on dunk attempts. Such was the case yet again early in that fourth frame, when Brendan Wright rejected a one-hand attempt by Splitter that could be generously described as soft.

But rather than deter him, Splitter’s latest humiliation motivated perhaps the most dominant stretch of hoops he’s played in the NBA.

And go hard Splitter did, converting a two-handed smash while being fouled little more than two minutes later. He followed with a three-point play, and scored three more points in the quarter.

Splitter being Splitter, he could never abandon his blue-collar roots, hitting the boards while slicing the Mavericks up with clever interior passing as part of a bravura stretch run that made up for the fact that Dirk Nowitzki, his primary defensive cover, finally got on track for 26 points.

Splitter had never had a single double-double in 35 previous postseason games. With three straight, he is now averaging one for the series (11.0 points, 10.6 rebounds), and that’s a big reason why the Spurs, despite their struggles, have a chance to close the Mavericks out on Friday.